Consider These Important Things if You

Stumble Upon A Crime Scene

It’s something that most of us could never imagine happening to us in real life - stumbling across a crime scene. It’s not a position most of us would want to find ourselves in, but anything is possible.

If you happen to stumble upon a crime scene, there are some key steps you should take to not only report the crime, but to leave the scene intact. Calling 911 will be the first step you take, but here is some advice on what you should do if you ever come across a crime scene.

1. Call 911

The first and most important thing to do if you happen upon a crime scene is to call 911. There could be people who need help, or you could be unsure of what has happened. Whatever the situation, describe things in detail to the operator. After making the call, stay at the scene so that you can answer questions if necessary from the authorities when they arrive.

2. Don’t touch anything

It’s important to preserve the crime scene as much as possible, so that crime scene investigators and law enforcement can collect the necessary evidence on their arrival. If there are multiple people around, ask them to clear the area, and try to stop people from trying to touch or alter the scene.

If there is a body involved, do not try to move it. You should also try to avoid leaving behind something that could be mistaken by forensics as being connected to the case - this includes eating, drinking, going to the bathroom and even making further calls beyond your 911 call.

3. Make some notes

Stumbling upon a crime scene can be very distressing, but it’s important that you stay calm and try to document the scene as much as possible. Make a note of the time you arrived, what time you made the call, the weather, who else was around (including descriptions), anything you think might be important. You’ll likely be asked these questions later on, so it can help to have something to work from, instead of relying on your memory alone. You might even wish to take photographs to help you remember key information.

4. Leave the professionals to it

It’s human nature to take an interest in something that has happened - like a crime or an accident, but that doesn’t mean that you should interfere. Once the authorities have turned up, you need to leave them to do their job, and comply as best you can. Professional forensics services in Illinois will attend the scene and take care of the cleanup to ensure the area is free from biohazards and more. Your input and actions will be valued much more if you comply and leave the professionals to get on with their job.

Hopefully, you’ll never be in a situation where you stumble across a crime scene, but if you are, make sure you follow the steps above to help forensic services to carry out their job effectively and get to work gathering evidence from the scene.